Something just isn't right about this. When both Rip and A.I. are available, what's going to happen?

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That's the big worry for everyone now..we are winning without AI, but you know he has to comeback as they can't go far without him...but what happens when he gets back?? Does it mess it up the chemistry? Does the production drop off? How many minutes does MC give him to keep his game on and to keep him from pouting. Does this scenario needs it's own thread??

That's the big worry for everyone now..we are winning without AI, but you know he has to comeback as they can't go far without him...but what happens when he gets back?? Does it mess it up the chemistry? Does the production drop off? How many minutes does MC give him to keep his game on and to keep him from pouting. Does this scenario needs it's own thread??

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...what happens when he gets back?? I dunno.

...Does it mess it up the chemistry? Maybe. Maybe not.

...Does the production drop off? Perhaps. Perhaps not.

...How many minutes does MC give him to keep his game on and to keep him from pouting?

48 minutes please

Does this scenario needs it's own thread??

NO.

(I'm thinking we should just waive AI right now. So as not to ruin our championship bound team. No reason to take any chances with such a sure thing as the Good Old Pistons Championship Comeback from the AI Experiment).

(I'm thinking we should just waive AI right now. So as not to ruin our championship bound team. No reason to take any chances with such a sure thing as the Good Old Pistons Championship Comeback from the AI Experiment).

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You're liking the GOPChCAIE too, huh? I think it's a gonna be a real catchphrase.

Curry seems to be back to trusting Kwame and Amir in small spurts, even if they don't produce.

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Amir played for 2:19 and was immediately replaced by Kwame.

What a game though. Even if we wouldn't have pulled it out, it was a fun game to watch with some great plays and some runs. There were a few defensive possessions where we just got abused inside, but our defense got really good in the 2nd half.

I really can't help but to think that we'd have a chance at a title with CB. He's really good. 34 points on 19 shots? Come on.

But on the flip side, our starting 5 shot a total shooting percentage of .738 tonight! It has to be the most efficient night of the year for our starting lineup (I don't even need to look it up, I just know). 93 points, 32 rebounds, 8 blocked shots and only 10 turnovers!!!

Meanwhile our bench played 50 minutes and had 7 points.

Overall, 31 free throws for us, which will get it done most nights.

Pretty weird winning streak. Out of the blue for sure. I would have bet a large sum of money that we didn't have it in us. Luckily, Nelson out. KG out. Carmelo out. But on our side, AI out. Tonight, we could have used him off the bench. But we also could have used AA and Amir. Pretty sure we would have managed more than 1 FG in 50 minutes if those guys were out there. Herrmann is a temporary crush for MC. They will break up shortly, guaranteed.

It felt strange watching the game tonight and feeling completely confident that we weren't going to blow it at the end. We protected the ball and our defense was swarming. Some of those offensive boards in the 4th were a true team effort. So glad we're not 27-32 right now like it looked like we would be.

That's the big worry for everyone now..we are winning without AI, but you know he has to comeback as they can't go far without him...but what happens when he gets back?? Does it mess it up the chemistry? Does the production drop off? How many minutes does MC give him to keep his game on and to keep him from pouting. Does this scenario needs it's own thread??

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No... how about some cognitive perceptions in real time.

Do you realize what has just happened to this organization in it's placement within the dynamics of potential player movement?

Did anyone else hear Eli Zarat talking to the producers when he thought he was off mike? It sounded like he was making fun of Billups for talking about himself so much. He said something like, 'Give me the one where he goes on and on about himself, saying what's so great about him before he says it's nice to be back.'

I'm not sure AI's name would have come up at all if CB wasn't playing. He was persona non grata by the teams mouthpieces.

Watching Sheed block Birdman from behind at the rim made me realize that it is the exception when it used to be the rule. There's a really good video over at need4sheed from 06 that is supposed to be highlighting Billups but times 2 stood out to me.

Who's out for GS on Friday? They just got to take it one injury at a time.

That's the big worry for everyone now..we are winning without AI, but you know he has to comeback as they can't go far without him...but what happens when he gets back?? Does it mess it up the chemistry?

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While we have been better lately, there's no way that we are a real contender. We are now a .625 team instead of a .475 team.

It would take some sort of miraculous configuration and leadership from MC to make this team into a true threat. If AI comes back and makes our bench the best in the league, and if that volume shooting opportunity makes him play better when he overlaps with the starters, then it could be magic. But I just don't think it will work out that way. MC will continue to fiddle around with the knobs in the cockpit until he accidently hits the self destruct sequence.

Did anyone else hear Eli Zarat talking to the producers when he thought he was off mike? It sounded like he was making fun of Billups for talking about himself so much. He said something like, 'Give me the one where he goes on and on about himself, saying what's so great about him before he says it's nice to be back.'

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I did catch it, but I didn't catch that it could be about Billups. That wouldn't surprise me. That's show biz.

I'm not trying to be difficult, but I reckon if you can make it to the ECF, then you are a contender. To make it to the ECF, you pretty much have to finish 5th or higher.

So if we finish 5th or higher, I will be satisfied that we are in contention, until we hit the ECF, at which point I will call us a contender.

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I know that we are not currently good enough to beat the top teams in the league in a 7 game series. We just aren't that dominating.

Nelson out. KG out. Boston's bench hurting. Bynum out. Ben with a broken leg, etc. Maybe all of these injuries and future injuries give us a chance. But you really can't count on that and I wouldn't want to anyway.

If we were sitting in 2nd place in the East right now and Billups was on our team still and kicking butt, most of us here would be doubting that we could pull in the title. Well, we are a long way from that even. We just beat 3 teams with winning records in a row, for the first time this season? Can that be right? Before that, it was 20 some games with 1 win against an above .500 team.

However good you think we may be now, we need more. With our coach, we need to be approximately twice as good as any other team in the league to tow down a title. Maybe AI can make us 1.5 times as good.

That to me is what has cost us the last 3 years. When someone punched us in the mouth, we folded. We had the talent to compete, but not the heart.

I will take the lower talent level, and much more heart and see what happens. No, I don't think we are a contender, but to be honest, I'm not sure the popular consensus 2 weeks after the deadline in 04 that we were contending, or in Carlisle's last season either when we made it to the ECF.

Curry is going to continue to be an albatross, but these guys have shown that they can play better than they have, and that is very encouraging to me.

I just don't see any intelligent analysis by Curry. Not only are his actions all over the place, but so are his quotes. There is a definite madness to his method. I don't feel like he's analyzing our play, win or lose, looking for ways to improve it.

Tonight, when Dyess threw away the ball after securing a defensive rebound and ended up immediately fouling the guy he threw it to, they pan to MC and he's clapping and screaming encouragement. When Will Bynum leaves the game after a solid stretch, MC is lecturing him and pointing to the court explaining his mistakes.

If you ask me, the vets need prodding and the youth needs confidence building in the arena and coaching behind closed doors in practice.

I was at the game. I was very proud of the ovation that our fellow Piston fans gave Billups. Seemed like it was longer and louder than the ones for G.Hill and Stack but that was a long time ago. Cheers even continued into the game when CB hit some shots and then stopped as soon as Denver gained the lead.

Great game. Pistons are playing as a team and not giving away leads or folding in the 4th. Just get Herman out of there and we will be good.

Great game. Chauncey was ON FIRE (again). But we defended him quite well in the 2nd half with traps on the P&R, and the guards staying up in his grill. He hit some shots that you'll live with anyone in the league taking.

Pretty much everyone played well other than Herrmann. How about 16 FTA on 14 FGA from out PG's? I like that. Dice was DEADLY with the mid-range J.

The difference in every "Team" aspect of the game is very apparent at this point these last 3.5 games.